The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-04-01
A CIRCUS NOVELTY.
Description Of the Amusing Entertain
Aents Given ut the New Circus in Paris.


Description Of the Amusing Entertaia-
nents Given ut the New Circus In Paris.
The new circus is a most remarka-
Die novelty. 1t combines gymnastics
and aquatics. 1t exhibits both riding
and swimming. 1t is the home of the
norman as well as of the centaur. In
appearance the new circus is like most
other circuses. The spectator takes
ms seat on one of the series of eli cling
benches which arise from the ring to
the other walls of the building. The
only popularity to attract immediate
attention is the huge cocoa mat which
covers the ring in place of the usual
tan bark. The programme is divided
into three parts. and of these the first
two are not unlike those in other cir
cuses. There is dog acrobat which
turns somersaults. and rolls barrel,
and stands on his fore-legs on a sword
and shams dead. There is a clown who
exhibits performing pig. which is rid
den by monkey. and which i.,mps over
hurdles and through paper hoop.
There is another clown. on whose par
t-cOlored dress YOU note the arms of
Great Britain and the United States
"A great many of the circus performers
one sees i'm Europe are Americans, and
the clowns always speak English.
There is Il group of performing clc-
plants. the Youngest of which wears a
clowns hat. There is an acrobat who
hangs by his heels. There are tiger
horses. exhibited by NJ. Loyal-might:
Percheron horses, strangely spotted
and striped. There is the usual assert
ment of riders. doing the pad act and
the bareback act and the manegc act.
After all these have been seen, the
ring is cleared. The huge cocoa mat
is rolled into a long cylinder. and s.
queer four-wiieelcd truck is drawn into
tn ring, astraddle of the rolled mat
which is then strapped to the truck.
All hands then pull away the truck and
its load through the entrance door and
out of sight Thus the bare boards OF
the ring are exposed to view. and the,
are seen to be pierced with numberles,
holes. An enormous glass globe cou-
tanning a powerful electric light is mex,
placed in the center of the ring. which
is then cleared. and its low doors an,
closed. The interested spectator.
watching all these preparations. next
hears a sound of machinery. and sees
the boards of the ring tremblc little.
and then begin to descend. There is Il
sound of pouring water. and wate.
streams up through every hole in Oh.
flooring. In less than minute the
flat ling has been changed to Il deer
tank. the water of which is lighted and
made transparent by the large electric
lamp, now descended to the bottom
This sudden Transformation is effected
by ingenious machinery. which pulls
siown into the swimming tank the
framework of the flooring of the ring.
Within the water there is sudlenl,
to be seen swimming figure. and then
another and another and another be-
aomes visible, until there are half i
dozen who have most mys,eriousIy ar-
w Hllc the l.
taking place the swimmers are in the
water Just outside of the ring and un-
der the audience. As soon rs the fec,
of the ring has sunk to the bottom of
the tank. the swimmers. one after an
other. dive under the cross braces anu |
reveal themselves in the tank Ii WAS |
Prof. johnson and his seven daughters |
an English family-who gave the
aquatic entertainment on the evening
j spent at the New Circus. A large |
mattress was placed in the center OF
the tank. and sprimg-boaId at one
Of the entrances. The gymnasts turn |
cd somcrsaults from the sprin@-boaI,i
tried to land on their feet on the mat
tress. whence they might walk ashore
dry-shod over the plank. Failing t"
reach the mattress, they were ducked /
iu the pond. 1t is easy to imagine wha; |
fun the clowns make out of their aquatic !
and misfortuncs.-.ir- /
thur Penn, in Harper's Young People.